Easter events

Lake Junaluska offers Easter weekend activities, services

The Easter weekend celebration at Lake Junaluska will be held April 19-20.

On Saturday, April 19, activities begin with the Friends of the Lake 5K at 8:30 a.m., followed by the 5K Family Walk and Children’s Fun Run. Registration begins at 7 a.m. and is required for the races.

Indoor children’s activities — including an egg-decorating contest, face painting, yo-yo balloons and more — begin at 10:30 a.m. in the Harrell Center Auditorium. Prizes will be awarded for the egg-decorating contest. The Easter egg hunts will take place near Stuart Auditorium beginning at 11 a.m. Children ages 1 to 12 are welcome to participate.

The Easter sunrise service will feature guest preacher Rev. Amy Coles, Smokey Mountain District Superintendent, and a brass ensemble with special music. The service will take place at 7 a.m. on Sunday, April 20, at the Lake Junaluska amphitheater and cross. Rain location is Memorial Chapel. Following the sunrise service, breakfast will be served in the Lambuth Inn from 7:30 a.m. until 9 a.m.

Long’s Chapel’s Easter service is scheduled for Stuart Auditorium at 10:25 a.m. Lake Junaluska’s annual Easter lunch buffet will be held in the Terrace Hotel. Tickets are available at the Bethea Welcome Center or by making a reservation at 828.454.6662.

Easter events are sponsored in part by Lake Junaluska, Ingles, Bilo, Mast General, Wal-Mart and more.

For a full event schedule visit www.lakejunaluska.com/easter.

Sylva church to celebrate Maundy Thursday, Good Friday

A special service observing Maundy Thursday and Good Friday will be held at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 17, at the First United Methodist Church of Sylva. Immediately following the Holy Eucharist, a Tenebrae service will commence.

Maundy Thursday, also called Holy Thursday, is a service to commemorate Jesus’ Last Supper. The word “Maundy” comes from the Latin word for “commandment.” Christians believe that on the day before his crucifixion, Jesus celebrated Passover for the last time with his disciples; it was then that he issued a new commandment: “Love one another as I have loved you.”

“Tenebrae” is Latin for “shadows” or “darkness.” The Tenebrae is an ancient Christian Good Friday service, which dates back to the eighth century and commemorates the passion and death of Jesus Christ. During the service, the lights dim to darkness to symbolize the death of Jesus.